THE WEATHER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 293, 8 November 1934, Page 2

THE WEATHER

CLOUD INCREASING

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Nov. 8

An anti-cyclone covering New Zealand is now centred east of the North Island and is still an intense one. Pressure is low and conditions are disturbed over southern and couth-east ern Australia.

Forecast: Moderate, but freshening, northerly winds. Weather: Fine and warm, but cloud increasing. Seas moderate, but rising.

CONDITIONS IN OCTOBER. METEROLOGIST’S REVIEW. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Nov. 8. In his observations on the weather experienced in October, Dr. E. Kidson, Dominion meteorologist, states: With the exception of the first two days October was very mild and equable. There was much less westerly wind than usual at this time of year. Conditions are rather dry in the eastern portions of the North Island, but in Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury the subsoil is thoroughly soaked for the first time during the last four to five years. Over the rest of the country, though the rain fall has been on the light side so far this year, there is no acute shortage. On the whole, October was one of the best spring months we have had. There has been a wonderful flush of growth in grass and vegetation generally and the countryside has never looked greener. Stock are in good condition, although in some districts lambs have not thrived as well as might be expected. The prospects for fruit and other crops are very pood. Some trouble has been experienced in parts of Canterbury and Marlborough from excessive moisture.

In Taranaki, Western Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury rains were, in general, much above the average, though there were a few exceptions. Wellington city and much of Marlborough had double the normal total. In Westland the falls were for the most part about average. The remainder of the country received much less than is usual in October.

After the 2nd, the month was a very mild one with no prolonged or severe spell of cold southerly wind. Nevertheless, mean temperatures were almost everywhere below normal. The departures were fairly large on the East Coast but very small on the west. As regards sunshine, conditions were very irregular. Considerable departures from the average were recorded at numbers of planes, but excesses and deficits a.ppear to be about equally mixed. Lake Tekapo had 246.5 hours, Napier 226.1, Tauranga 215.5, and Blenheim 211.7.

The only storm of note occurred at the beginning of the month. At this time a depression was crossing the Dominion, and on the morning of the 2nd a deep cyclone centre developed over the Cook Strait area. Rain was practically general and in the western and central districts there were many heavy falls. Flooding occurred in Taranaki, Southern Wellington, Marlborough, and North Canterbury. On the Ist, northerly gales raged at many places from Nelson and Marlborough northwards, and the Wa.irarapa experienced the most destructive gale in its history. The reason why this wind was so damaging is not very clear since in the higher levels and at Wellington, for instance, stronger blows have been recorded. It must, however, have descended with unusual force to the low levels after crossing the Tararua Ranges. Such a descent is favoured if the ground is unusually warm, and the fact that the night of September 30 to October 1 was unusually warm at \\ ellington while a very high maximum temperature was recorded at Masterton is in accordance with this. A strong southerly wind and a sharp cold snap followed on October 2 and snow fell to low levels on the ranges. A moderate westerly depression which passed on the 9tli was also responsible for a fresh fall of snow on the ranges, but the precipitation caused by it was far from general. On the 12th another depression moved on to the country and, its further movement being checked by an intense . anti-cyclone to the eastward, did not disappear until the 16th. During this time ram fell in all parts, but was particularly beavv on the mountains and in western districts Several other depressions passed during the month, but none were very boisterous or productive of general rain, Associated with one of these there were some severe thunder and hail storms in districts of the North Island on the Jlst. manawatu river gauge. Noon.—lit.